Infusion package with nontangling string handle



Jam 1949' H. o. IRMSCHER 2,458,169

INFUSION PACKAGE WITH NQNTANGLING STRING HANDLE Filed NOV. 6, 1945 IN V EN TOR. Hams QfR/Vscmsn Patented Jan. 4, 1949 INFUSION PACKAGE WITH NONTANGLING STRING HANDLE Hans 0. Irmscher, East Hempstead, Long Island, N. Y., assignor to National Urn Bag Co. Inc., a corporation of New York Application November 6, 1945, Serial No. 626,994

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to the manufacture of filled containers or bags, and more particularly is directed to infusion packages such as tea or coffee balls with non-tangling string and tags handles or the like articles of manufacture.

Among the objects of the invention are the general improvement of filled containers or bags in the .form of infusion packages with non-tangling arranged string handles and tags as inexpensive articles of manufacture, which shall comprise few and simple parts that are easy and cheap to manufacture, which shall be capable of quantity production on automatic high-speed packaging machines, which shall have pressure heat sealed joint seams formed with an improved means for retaining the tag temporarily to the bag portion of the package to eliminate tangling of the string handle and tag, which shall provide a neat appearing package, and which shall be practical and efiicient to a high degree in use.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out. The invention accordingly consists of features of constructions, combination of elements, arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the constructions hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are Various possible illustrated embodiments of this invention:

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and side elevational views of a square shaped tea ball with heat sealed seam joints and string handle terminated by a tag attached to eliminate tangling before use and constructed to embody the invention.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken through the temporary connection of the tag with the tea-ball bag taken on lines 33 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of an improved tea ball similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified form of the invention in both the construction of the tag and the temporary attachment thereof to the bag portion.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 55 in Fig. 4 to show the construction of the tag.

Fig. 6 is a view showing blank and method of construction the tag terminating the string handle and in component parts of the tag.

Figs. '7 and 8 are plan and side elevational views of another form of the improved tea ball with the improved non-tangling string construction in which the tag is temporarily secured by folding over the crimping the tag to the bag.

Figs. 9 and 10 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken on the tag temporary attachment taken on lines 9-9 and |0|0 in Fig. '7.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of still another modifi- 2 cation of the invention showing a tea ball made with a temporarily attached tag to the body of the package, and

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on lines |2|2 in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings 20 denotes an improved construction of a filled infusion package in the form of a square shaped tea ball manufactured to embody the invention. As seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the tea ball 20 may comprise a package portion made of a filter strip of filter sheet material 2| folded over on itself to provide a bottom fold edge 22 forming two superimposed layers, that is, overlying portions providing the flattened sides of the tea ball 20 which are secured along the marginal areas on the remaining three edge portions at the border closure joint seams or flanges 23, 24 and 25 to completely seal the tea ball bag, thus formed, said tea ball package being partially filled with an essence containing product T, such as tea, which forms the contents thereof.

The strip of sheet material 2| may be supplied from a suitable source in the form of a web of the required web (not shown) in the well understood manner, a suificient length of said web being cut and folded to form the tea ball bag. Or, pre-cut strips of the said material 2| of proper shape and length may form such supply source if desired. The sheet material 2| is preferably foraminous construction, as for example, filter paper, perforated parchment paper or Cellophane, cotton gauze and the like. That, used in the practise of the invention here described may comprise of a filter paper piece layer 2| a coated on one side with a thermo-setting partially fusioned plastic lamina 2|b of the character described in Manzel Patent No. 2,306,400 granted December 29, 1942, or of other suitable filter sheet piece material coated with a thermo-setting plastic lamina for forming heat sealed border joint seams or flanges 24 at the top and similar spaced flanges 23 and 25 on opposite sides in the manner hereinafter more fully described.

A suitable filter paper sheet for forming base layer 2|a may be made of a vegetable fibrous pulp stock, said layer 2m with thermosetting coating or lamina 2 b being such that when made into the tea ball bag has sufficient wet strength to withstand immersion in boiling water without damage or disintegration and without undue loss of tensile strength. The filtering sheet material 2| comprising the layer 2|a and coating 2|b when forming the tea ball bags must be such as to permit ready infusion, that is, passage therethrough of the water of immersion for brewing and straining the filling or tea contents T, said layer 2|a, coating 2|b and flanges 23, 24 and 25 being of such composition that they are non-toxic, insoluble in hot boiling water, and

degree to the brew.

It has been found in practice that a'6 'pound impart no odor or taste even to the slightest fibrous pulp stock sheet of approximately .001

inch thick of high wet tensile strength forms a i 3 practical filter paper layer 21a for the' purposes described therein. On such layer 2 la a finely powdered copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinyl acetate may be uniformly sprinkled ,or sprayed,

partially fused by heat to 60 C; andpressure rolled thereon for providing a satisfactory, pervious, dry and extremely thin'coating or lamina 2 lb which does not materially affect the filtering capacity Of the layer 2111. Approximately three ounces of such vinyl powder for each pound of said layer 24awill form said coating or lamina 21b ofnormaly less than (0005 inch thick.

. Sheet material 2! after taken from a supply source may be cut td the required size, made into tea ball bags and filled with the contents T, the

place when the pressure "and heat of approxi mately 130 Cfiis "applied. 1

In manufacturing"'of'iniusion' packages of tea balls and the like it has heretofore often been found desirable'to include some form of handle to manipulate the tea '-:ba11 during the brewingoperation which is best carried onina cup,and

also'to provide a tag'wnich "bears 'a legend or trade Jmar-k of the manufactu-re, grade, of tea, etc. "Such handles -are most frequently provided by -a' stri-ng' handle L 26 attached to'the'tea ball package, the free end of saidstring handle 26 being terminated by a tag- 21. ne end 26a of able manner to the: exterior side :of the-package, aszifor':example, at".'a inid porti'on of the top other or opposite iendflfi 'b of said :string handle may also be anch'oreditothe tag -2'l by a similar staple :29 as shown dniFigsi l, 2, and -3.

"In order to eliminatez danglingeof the string handle :26 and "tag :2 which isometimesaresults in "accidental tearing the ac-package when' cartoning'or handlingan'd to rprovideia neat and attractive'iappearing tea balli20, 'delivered tothe user, the-edge aportioni iizfla of :the tea ball 20 beyond the top 'closure ':heat sealed jointi24 is :left unsealed for a "suifi'cien-t distance to permit the insertion of an infolded narrowedge doorder Z Iaof the tag 2]. said 'e'dge border Z'Iaimaybe temporarily secured in "place by spot heat sealing at spaced points 30 so thatthe string'handle 26 is held in ailoope'd :positi'on' againstthe side of'the package and-the tagizl removable retained't'o the package in an attractively "neat manner for delivery 'to the .user thus eliminating dangling 'as is shown in :Figs. 1,2 and In .making tea bal1s"on super high-speedteaball manufacturing apparatus such as shown-and described in applicant' s copending application Ser. No. 450289 filed,-J1ily 9, 1942; the invention may be :pra'cti'sed by p'rovidingan accessory de vice for supplyingand applying s'tring "handle 26, staples 28 and 29, and tags 2 I so infolded 'edgeiebord'er 21a is inserted in an unthat the tag 4 a, a sealed top edge portion [0a of each tea ball 20 during the manufacture ithere of and spaced spot heat sealing-points 30 applied afterwhich the finished tea ball 20 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be conveniently handled for packaging and delivered to theuser in non-tangling condition.

1 The user by simply grasping the tag 21 may readily pull the latter from its temporary attachment by spot points 30 for leaving the string handle 26 free toserve as a stirring and brew manipulating means in the Well understood manner (not shown-l.

In Figs. 4, 5 and 6 a modified construction of the invention is shown The tag 41 on tea ball 40 may be made of sheet material coated on one side with-a heat sealing lamina which may be similarto lamina 2 lb-of th'tea -ball-20 described above. Said tag l'l "may vbe made from a blank 13 shown in Fig: 6 provided with a fol-d line F and an integral extension flange 41-0; By folding the -blank"B over-on "fold line F with the'one end 561) of a string handle '46 therebetween and heat-sealing the lamina surifacein face to face relation, the tag H-attached to string handle 46 is formed, as shown-in Figs.' 4--and 5. The tag extension flange i-Tc may b'e inserted between the unsealed-' porti'on flfla of the package '40 beyond top closure joint :Jseam ll :and spot heat sealed atpoints 50 as indicated in Fig. 4,.in a similar manner to that described for tea ball 20 and shownin Figs. 1 andB. The other end of the string handle JBa-mayibeanchofid by a staple 48 to said top closureujoiht :Isea'm "44. Thus the tag l is temporarily retained' intposition against 1 package 40 withi theistring handle .46 in a nontangl'in'g positiontagainst the flat side of the tea ball 40.

#Another' form of iiconstruct ionembodying the invention is shownlinthe Figs. 7 Etc 10, inclusive. Here the package o'iitea balls 66 maybe con-struct- 4e and shown iin Figs. .1 and except that tag =6? is made with an infolded flange 2621a which is clamped Eover the'ftop ilaorder zedges :iifia of the package zandgfretains the stag 56:1 temporarily in position by space crimping means Hi instead of spot Eheat-sealing nieanstused the construction of tea balls i2!) and Q20.

:String handle 66, imayzhave at one end thereof ianc-ho-rzedzto thetop closure heat sealed joint seam 64': yestaplezliB, the anther zenid 65b oi-isaid string handle :66 fleeing {permanently attached to the tag sin-the; manner described,

abovei-forwtag Mas sshoiwn'rin :Figs. 4 :and 5 Tag [56 is thus detachably mountedion the package and retains the -string handle A56 in non-tangliag osition. lsyrsimply t pilillingathe tag x61 from the package the :tea ba'll liflvisrizeady-ifor use 'in the brewingimanipiilarxion. q

Still another modification of the invention :is

shown in -Eigs: miandum; :I-Iehe, tea :ball T 89 has one 'end .dfiarnfitheistnng handle 586 anchored "to the top closure heat sealed joint seam M by staple-- li8.u The Either string ihandle end ftB'b-is permanently attacheditto the tag 281 in :any suit-v,

able mannervand as here shown by .-being adhesivelysecuredbtweenxoverlying ieces of sheet material forming-the itag 18:1 'as sho-w-n in Fig. 12. The' upper edge' border 'sla of the tag 61 may be' punczh'ed with a section$lb which distorts sheet material bo'rder and tag portions from their 'normal planesth "the form' of an integral rivet structure *Whi'oh foT- mS a" temporary "fastener for the tag 81 to thepack agefi Said punched see the package adjacent said top joint seam 84 as at 870, at a spaced distance from the anchoring staple 88, so that by a pull action exerted on the tag 8'! the latter is released and permits the use of the string handle 86 for suspending the tea ball 83 in brewing.

It should be noted that one feature of constructing the tea balls 2|], 40, 60 or 80, is to provide the top closure joint seam 24 of the packages positioned inwardly of the edge borders 23a, preferably at least half the distance of the Width of each joint seam 24. This improvement has several advantages, the principal one being that in heat sealing said top joint seams 24, the flow, during fusion of the lamina 2! b thereat, is retained Within the confines of the inner surfaces of the sheet material portion forming each edge border 20a. Thus in super high speed manufacturing of the tea balls the heated clamping means (not shown) which permanently heat seal the top joint seams 24 are kept free from the heat sealing material, that is, molten lamina 2% which would otherwise flow out to foul said clamping means if the heat sealed joint 24' were positioned to extend to the very edge or closer than about the distance half the width of each joint seam 24.

Another reason for locating the top closure joint seam 24 inwardly from an unsealed edge border 28a, as shown in the drawing and described above, is to provide mounting supports for the tags 27, 41, 67 and 8'! beyond the top closure joint seams 24 so that when said tags are pulled to detach them from their temporary fastener means the top closure joint seams 24 remains intact even if part of the edge borders 20a, of the tea balls are torn away in said pulling operations.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an infusion package whereby the several objects of this invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A package completely enclosing an infusion product in a bag formed with a top closure seam having a heat-sealing joint material, an unsealed edge border portion of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge of said bag and extending beyond said top closure seam a suficient distance so constructed and arranged to retain a flow of said heat-sealing joint material from passing beyond said border portion during fusion of said joint material when forming said top closure seam, said unsealed edge border portion being free from said heat sealing joint material and serving as means for receiving and temporarily retaining portions of a detachable tag.

2. In a heat sealed package, a top closure seam formed with a heat sealed joint material having a border portion of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge of said packages and beyond said closure seam to the package top edge for retaining molten joint material wholly within said border portion during heat sealing of said closure seam, said border portion being of sufficient width to serve as an anchorage for a detachable tag leaving the top closure seam intact when the border portion is damaged accidentally on re moval of the tag therefrom.

3. A flattened package formed with a top closure heat sealed joint seam, said joint seam having unsealed edge borders of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge of the package and beyond said top closure joint seam to the package top edge for retaining molten joint sealing material wholly within said edge borders, a string handle having one end secured to said package at said top closure joint seam and short of said edge borders, a detached tag secured to the other end of said string handle, and means for temporarily securing a portion of the tag to said edge borders at a spaced distance from the anchored string and for looping the string handle to eliminate tangling of the string handle and tag while said means is effective in positioning the tag to lay against a flat side of the package.

4. A package of the character described formed with a top closure heat sealed joint seam, said joint package having an unsealed edge border of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge of the package and beyond said top closure joint seam, a string handle having one end secured to said package at said top closure joint seam, a tag secured to the other end of said string handle, and means for temporarily securing a portion of the tag to said border at a spaced distance from the anchored string handle end for looping the string handle to eliminate tangling of the string handle and tag while said means is ellective, said temporary securing means including spot heat sealing of said tag to said edge border.

5. A package formed with a top closure heat sealed joint package having an unsealed edge border of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge of the package and beyond said top closure joint seam, a string handle having one end secured to said package at saidtop closure joint seam, a tag secured to the other end of said string handle, and means for temporarily securing a portion of the tag to said edge border at a spaced distance from the anchored string handle end for looping the string handle and tag while said means is effective, said temporary means including a crimped attachment extending over said edge border for demountably retaining the tag to said edge border.

6. A package of the character described formed with a top closure heat sealed joint seam, said joint package having an unsealed edge border of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge of the package and beyond said top closure joint seam, a string handle having one end secured to said package at said top closure joint seam, a tag secured to the other end of said string handle, and means for temporarily securing a portion of the tag to said edge border at a spaced distance from the anchored string handle end for looping the string handle to eliminate tangling of the string handle and tag while said means is efiective, said temporary securing means including a punched portion of said tag extending through said edge border and demountably retaining the tag thereby.

7. A package as defined in claim 3, in which a portion of said tag is inserted between said unsealed edge borders and spot heat sealed to form said temporary securing means for demountably retaining the tag thereto.

8. A package as defined in claim 3, in which said tag is heat sealed to the end of the string handle and is provided with an extension flange aasarea for, engaging. and :spot heat sea1ing-to-saia edge borders to form saidvtemporary securing means for demountabl-y retain-ing. the'tagythereto.

9. A flattened, package .formed with a top closureheat sealed vjoint seam, said joint seam having unsealed-edge borders of unbroken length extending from side edge to side edge ,of the package beyond said top closure joint .seam,.a string handle having one endanchoredto said package at said top closure joint seam,:a tag secured to the other end of said string handle, means fortemporarily securing a portion of the tag. to said edge borders .atza spaced distance from said anchored'string handle end for looping the string handle to eliminate tangling of the string handle and tagwhile said means is effective and to. position the tag: to lay against a'flat side of the package, said means including a U-shaped' flange provided on the tag for engaging over said edge borders, and crimped'f-astener meanszirnpressed on said tag flange to formtemporary securing means for tdemountab'ly'retaining thetag tosaid edge :borders.

10. A package as defined in claim 3 in which an integral rivet structure is formed therefrom which extends through and engages vthe edge borders to form said temporary securing means for demountably retaining the tag to said edge border.

11. An infusionfpackage' formed with flat sides and top, closureheat sealed joint seam, a string handle .for' the package, permanent anchoring means for securing one end of said string handle end to saidzpackage .at ,saidtop closurejoint a tag secured to terminate the other end of said string handle, atemporary formed fastener means spaced from saidanchoringmeans for demount-j ably attaching-the .tag directly to the package adjacent said closure seam joint with the tag lying flat against flat side of thelpackage and the string handle infa non-tangling position, said fastening means permitting ready detachment of the tag from the'package for using the string handle as. suspension means in brewing manipulation. p

.12.'A flattened package *formed with atop closure heat sealed jointseam, said joint package having unsealed edge borders of'unbroken length the tag to lay againsta fiat side of the package;

said temporary fastening means retaining the tag to said edge borders beyond end closure heat sealed joint seam. I

13. An infusion package comprising a flattened bag having a heat sealed jointseamserving'as a top closure formed iinwardlyoi the edge border portion of said bag, a string handle attached at one end to said top closure seam, a tag secured to thefree end of the string handle, and means temporarilyinterconnecting the tag to said bag edge border portion beyond the top closure for positioning the tag toextend across said closure seam with said taglaying against a flat side of the bag.

14. An infusion package as defined in claim 1 in which said means temporarily interconnecting the tag to said bag edge border portion is formed of a distorted structural interconnection of the tag and said edge border portion beyond s'aidm closure seam with respect to a normal plane of the sheet of the bag andtag.

HANS O. IRMSCHER.

REFERENCES Orr-En The following referencesare of record inthe file of this vpatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,672,518 Ensko 'June=5, 1928 1,799,006 Cooper -Mar.'31,193l 2,281,582 Irmscher "May-5, 1942 2,298,420 Salfisberg Oct. 13, '1942 2,364,903 Howard Dec. 12, 1944 2,377,118 Weisman May 29 1945 2,406,137 Eaton Aug. 20, 1946 

